Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank is under fire after being photographed holding an Arsenal-branded cup ahead of a 3-2 Premier League loss at Bournemouth.
Frank insisted he would never deliberately drink from it, calling such an act “completely stupid,” though the incident has angered Spurs fans.
The pressure intensified after Antoine Semenyo scored a dramatic added-time winner for Bournemouth.
Arsenal, Tottenham’s north London rivals, had been the previous visitors to the Vitality Stadium, celebrating a 3-2 victory.
“I definitely didn’t notice it,” Frank said of the cup, stressing that taking it was routine and unintentional.
He added, “It would be absolutely, completely stupid of me to take a cup with Arsenal’s emblem on it. Of course I would never do that. That’s extremely stupid.”
Match Drama at the Vitality Stadium
Joao Palhinha’s bicycle kick briefly offered Spurs hope after Bournemouth’s Evanilson and Junior Kroupi overturned Mathys Tel’s early opener.
However, Semenyo, reportedly on the verge of a £65million move to Manchester City, netted his 10th goal of the season in the fifth minute of added time.
The result left Tottenham with just two wins from their last 12 league games, provoking heated exchanges between traveling supporters and players.
Frank acknowledged the frustration, stating, “Everyone involved in Tottenham, it’s a tough one to take today. Hopefully everyone can see how hard we worked to get everything in the right direction.”
He praised the team’s performance, particularly in the second half, despite the disappointing outcome.
Bournemouth ended an 11-match winless run, and Semenyo, celebrating his 26th birthday, received a standing ovation upon being substituted.
Boss Andoni Iraola commended Semenyo’s professionalism, saying, “He deserved this moment; I’m happy football has given him this moment he will not forget.”
Iraola added that Semenyo had consistently put the team first, even while dealing with transfer speculation.
